Fabricated elastic sheet material



y 1946- T. 'J. BOECKER V 2,401,132

7 FABRICATED ELASTIC SHEET MATERIAL Filed April 12, 1945 Patented May 28, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FABRICATED ELASTIC SHEET MATERIAL Theodore J. Boecker, Melrose, Mass, assignor to' Herwal Shoe 00., 1110., Everett, Mass, 2. corpo-' ration of Massachusetts Application April 12, 1943, Serial No. 482,810

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fabricated elastic sheet materials.

More especially it relates to a composite sheet material comprising a backing sheet having elastic threads and superimposed thereon, a facing sheet of pleated fabric secured to the backing sheet by spaced rows of stitching which secure the pleats in overlying relation along the lines of stitching, with the stitching yieldable in direction along said lines. The invention has utility in sheets of various widths and lengths suitable for numerous purposes in large or small sizes, or in strips, but has a particular utility and advantage as elastic goring in the footwear art, for inserts, straps, edge beading and the like, where durable elasticity and attractiveness of surface aspect are desirable.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a composite sheet material in which a pleated facing sheet is stitched to an elastic backing sheet with provision at the stitch lines for increase of the show of the pleats when the composite sheet is placed under tension in direction along the stitch lines and across the pleats. Yielding stitches are employed, in rows spaced apart in direction along the pleats, so that the overlie of the pleats can slip as the backing sheet stretches.

A feature resides in the effect, at the facing sheet when the composite sheet is stretched, of a bowing of the exposed pleat edges extending between stitch lines, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the pleated face of the composite sheet.

Another object is to organize the pleats with respect to the individual stitches so that, while each pleat is secured in its pleated form to the backing sheet, each is capable of slip relative to its neighbors when the composite sheet is tensioned. Each stitch preferably extends obliquely from the show of one pleat to the show of a next adjacent sheet so as to bridge the edge of a pleat.

It is moreover, a purpose and object of my invention to generally improve stretchable composite sheet materials, and especially such materials in the strip form of elastic goring.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a strip of composite sheet material embodying features of my invention;

Figure 2 is a face plan view of a larger sheet showing multiple spaced stitch lines crossing the pleats;

Figure 3 is a perspective of a fragment of the composite sheet material of Figures 1 and 2, in

section along a line of stitching anclsomewhat diagrammatic; f l l Figure 4 is a face plan View of a section of the composite strip of Figure 1, illustratingthe pleats and stitching approximately in the ,positions they assume when the strip is stretched, and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a shoe having my gcring strip embodied therein;

Referring to the drawing, a woven elastic fabric l0 having longitudinally extending elastic threads l2 constitutes a backing sheet upon which is superimposed a pleated sheet M of fabric. Preferably the pleated fabric sheet I4 has finished side edges, they being either selvedge edges or the material being folded inward upon itself as at It prior to pleating to provide edges which will continue trim and clean without ravelling. Also I have found it convenient and practicableto initially lightly coat the under side of the fabric sheet with cement to hold the intiu'ned edges i6 and also the pleats I8-in place while the pleated fabric is being mounted on the backing sheet I0. In Figure l the pleated fabric may have selvedge edges. In Figures 2 and 4 I have indicated turned-in edges at It.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, which shows a goring strip, the pleated fabric 14 is superimposed upon the elastic backing sheet 10 and is secured thereto by the two rows 20' of zig-zag stitching. The stitches extend through both sheets H7, H1 and the aspect of the stitches on the under face is comparable to that on the pleated face, as suggested by the dotted stitch lines 22 in Figure 3. Each row 20 of stitches is relatively close to the marginal edge of the composite strip so that there is a substantial extent of each pleat between the rows.

Also, as represented, each stitch extends obliquely at the face of the sheet from the show of one pleat to the show of the pleat next adjacent, thus bridging the exposed edge of a pleat 18. This results in a stitch down through both sheets in the midst of each show of a pleat as at it in Figure 3 but in staggered relation in successive pleats. Thus the pleats are not locked against relative slip and each can move relatively to its neighbor when the composite sheet or strip is placed under tension. The portions of pleats extending between the rows of stitching are free to move relatively and the tendency is for (them to bow somewhat under tension as illustrated in Figure 4:. The general effect is pleasing, and attractive, and the composite stretchable material thus made is both durable and effective when used as goring strips, straps, inlays, etc., for footwear and for other purposes.

Figure 2 illustrates my invention in sheet form with a series of rows 20 of stitching spaced equally apart across the width of the sheet. In other respects this sheet form is comparable to the strip form of Figures 1 and 4.

While I have illustrated zig-zag stitching securing the pleated facing sheet M to the elastic backing sheet l0, it will be obvious that any type of stitching having some stitches oblique to others in a stitch row maybe employed so long as the stitches provide needed yieldability when the sheet is put under tension.

I claim as my invention:

1. A composite elastic goring comprising a woven strip of fabric having elastic threads extending in one direction therein, a strip of pleated flexible material superimposed on the fabric strip with the pleats crosswise of said elastic threads of the fabric sheet, and with each pleat laid over upon and covering a substantial portion of an adjacent pleat, and a line of stitching along each side margin of the composite strip constituting the only means securing the strips together and the pleats in their said laid over relation, there being stitches in each line of stitching oblique to others in the line, and each stitch having length in direction along the line at least equal to the dimension of the show of a pleat in direction along the line of stitching whereby each stitch extends from the show of one pleat to the show ofna next adjacent pleat, bridging an exposed fold of a pleat.

2. A composite elastic goring comprising a woven strip of fabric having elastic threads extending longitudinally therein, a strip of pleated flexible material superimposed on the fabric strip with the pleats crosswise of said elastic threads of the fabric sheet, and with each pleat laid over upon and covering a substantial portion of an adjacent pleat, and a line of zig-zag stitching along each side margin of the composite strip constituting the only means securing the strips together and the pleats in their said laid over relation, each stitch extending from a location in the show of one pleat to a location in the show of a next adjacent pleat, and the portion of each pleat between said lines of stitching being free to bow away from the underlying pleat when the composite strip is stretched.

3. A composite elastic goring comprising a woven strip of fabric having elastic threads extending longitudinally therein, a strip of pleated flexible material superimposed on the fabric strip with the pleats crosswise of said elastic threads of the fabric sheet, and with each pleat laid over upon and covering a substantial portion of an adjacent pleat, and a zig-zag line of stitching along each side margin of the composite strip constituting the only means securing the component strips together and the onl means maintaining said pleats in their said laid over relation and independently of elasticity of said elastic threads, said stitching being yieldable longitudinally of the goring along the lines of stitching when said composite strip is put under tensio'n, and the said laid over portions of the pleats between said lines of stitching being free to bow away from an underlying pleat when the composite strip is put under tension.

THEODORE J. BOECKER. 

